Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston
Wedding Bartending
Shaker Bar & Bev. Co. runs the bar at your wedding — the packages, the pours, the people and the clean-up — across Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.
4.43★on Google, from 14 reviews14 of 14reviews answered$15–$35per guest, publishedDFW + Houstonboth metros served
What does a wedding bartending service actually do?
Shaker arrives at least two hours before your ceremony, builds the bar, and stays until an hour and a half after the bar closes so the space is left clean. In between, bartenders pour for your guests, keep the bar area tidy, manage stock so the drinks people actually want do not run out, and pace service so there is no queue during the toasts.
The part couples underestimate is everything that is not pouring. Ice, coolers, cups, garnishes, pour spouts, napkins, a water dispenser, a tip jar, bar towels — the supplies package exists because those are the items that derail a bar when nobody remembered them. Shaker brings them as standard.
Do you supply the alcohol, or do we?
Either. A bar package means Shaker supplies the alcohol, the mixers and the supplies, priced per guest. BYOB means you buy the alcohol and Shaker brings the bartenders, the supplies and the expertise to serve it.
Couples choose BYOB most often when their venue requires it or when they have found a good price on the alcohol themselves. Couples choose a package when they would rather not spend an evening estimating how many bottles of tequila 150 people will drink. Both are normal, and the shopping list Shaker provides for BYOB clients answers the quantity question directly.
How do we choose between the five bar packages?
Work up from what your guests drink rather than down from the most expensive tier. Beer & Wine Bar at $20 per guest is the most common starting point. Specialty Bar at $23 adds two signature batch cocktails, which is the tier for couples who want his-and-hers drinks. Premium Call Bar at $27 is what most couples mean when they say "open bar" — a real spirits bar across all five categories. Platinum Call Bar at $35 is top shelf throughout, and the only tier with ice, coolers, lemons, limes and napkins in the per-person price.
The Non-Alcoholic Bar at $15 is not a consolation tier. It is what you add alongside an alcoholic bar so guests who are not drinking get a specialty lemonade and a sparkling toast rather than a can of soda, and it is the whole bar at dry venues.
When should we book?
As soon as your date and venue are fixed. Saturdays in spring and autumn are the first dates to go in the DFW wedding calendar, and bartending is usually booked after the venue, photographer and caterer — which means couples often come to it late and find their date already taken.
What comes with every wedding bar
- Bar setup and teardown, with staff on site two hours before the ceremony
- Professional bartenders, one per 75 guests
- The supplies package: coolers, cups, ice bucket, tongs, napkins, straws, pitchers, serving tray, tip jar, water dispenser, garnish bowls, bar towels and pour spouts
- Stock management through the evening so favourites do not run dry
- Clean-up, finishing an hour and a half after the bar closes
What it costs
Wedding bar packages run from $15 to $35 per guest for four hours of service, with bartenders at $50 an hour and one bartender per 75 guests.
Questions
14 answered questions on wedding bar & bartending.
Read the Wedding Bar & Bartending FAQs →Bar packages
- Non-Alcoholic Bar — $15/guest
- Beer & Wine Bar — $20/guest
- Specialty Bar — $23/guest
- Premium Call Bar — $27/guest
- Platinum Call Bar — $35/guest
Wedding Bartending: common questions
How much does a wedding bartender cost in Dallas-Fort Worth?
Shaker’s bar packages run $15 to $35 per guest for four hours of service, plus bartenders at $50 an hour. A 150-guest wedding on the Specialty Bar with five hours of service and a champagne toast comes to roughly $6,000 including the 20% service charge.
The per-guest figure covers the alcohol, mixers, supplies package and cups for the tier you choose. Staffing is added on top: one bartender per 75 guests at $50 an hour. A 20% setup and service charge applies to the booking.
The estimator on the pricing page runs your real numbers, and four worked examples are published there in full so you can see the arithmetic rather than take a range on trust.
How many bartenders do we need for our wedding?
One bartender per 75 guests. A 150-guest wedding takes two, and a 250-guest wedding takes four. Add a bar glassware busser at $50 an hour if you are renting glassware, because collecting and washing glasses is a full job on its own.
The ratio matters most at two moments: immediately after the ceremony and immediately after the last speech, when most of the room arrives at the bar within a few minutes of each other. Understaffing shows up as a queue at exactly those points.
How far in advance should we book a wedding bartender?
As soon as your date and venue are confirmed. Saturdays in spring and autumn are the first dates to fill in the DFW wedding calendar, and bar service is usually booked after the venue, photographer and caterer — so couples often reach it late and find their date taken.
What is included in a wedding bar package?
The alcohol for your tier, mixers and sodas, the supplies package, nine-ounce cups, bar setup and teardown. Staff arrive at least two hours before the ceremony and finish an hour and a half after the bar closes. Bartender hours are quoted separately.
The supplies package is the part couples underestimate: coolers, plastic cups, an ice serving bucket, tongs, cocktail napkins, straws, pitchers, a serving tray, a tip jar, a water dispenser, garnish bowls and plates, bar towels and pour spouts. It is $275 on its own for BYOB events, and included in every bar package.
The Platinum Call Bar is the only tier that also includes ice, coolers, lemons, limes and napkins in the per-person price. On other tiers, ice is $25 per 50 lb and lemons and limes are $50 if you want them added.
Other services
BYOB Bartending
You bring the booze, Shaker brings everything else — including the list of what to buy.
Bartenders & Bar Staffing
Bartenders, barbacks, servers and bussers, hired by the hour.
Specialty & Signature Cocktails
Signature drinks, batched or made to order, with a tasting first.
Non-Alcoholic Bar Service
A proper dry bar, for dry venues and guests who are not drinking.
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